She turned eight. Our delightful, charismatic, funny, sweet girl. In true Cancerian style she wanted to celebrate at home with her family and two close childhood friends. Of course we accomodated her needs. It was a lovely party which she shared with her grandmother, Juju.
In the past she has received all of the Vedic initiations and today she was to receive the next part, Upnayan.This ceremony initiates the child into an intellectual and spiritual journey. We held a havan in honour of this important milestone in her life. She was in charge of the whole thing. She decided who sat where and who did what. Darren whispered the Gayatri Mantra into her ear and we gave her a rudraksha mala of 27 beads. She performed the havan and delighted in starting all of the mantras and rituals necessary for its fulfilment. At Guru Poornima - the full moon in July when all of the gurus, saints, seers, rishis and sages are remembered, past, present and future - she will receive the next part of the teaching; nadi shodhana and surya namaskar by a yogini at our local Satyananda ashram whom she loves and respects.
She decided that morning that she had outgrown her second hand barbie dolls - she wanted to give them away. She also received a sewing machine for her birthday and she sat down for 4 hours and sewed. She made a pillow for her doll, 2 eye pillows with lavender and rice, a dress for her doll and a dress for herself.
We love you Indira. May Saraswati bless you and keep you and shine her face upon you and give you shanti, shanti, shanti.
